Retailers Majorly Mark Up Wedding Dresses

This Is How Much Wedding-Dress Prices Are Marked Up By Retailers

A research company called Edited just released a report that confirms something most of us already know: Wedding dresses cost a ton of money. But you may not realize just how expensive they are. As Business Insider notes, retailers charge brides about 3.9 times as much for white wedding dresses as they do for similar white dresses that aren’t necessarily meant for brides.

This nonsense doesn’t just stop at the bride’s gown. Bridesmaids’ dresses get a markup, too. Edited also reported that dresses marketed to bridesmaids are sold for about 1.8 times more than similar dresses not specifically labeled as “bridesmaids’ dresses.” Of course, if you've ever been in a friend's wedding, you're probably all too familiar with this upcharge.

Other data from Edited's report confirms yet another thing we already knew: Millennials like to shop online. This trend extends to millennial brides. It turns out that, these days, not every bride needs a Say Yes to the Dress moment in a physical store. Edited found that online shopping for wedding dresses has become a booming business that rakes in about $574 million every year.

The takeaway: Whether you're buying your wedding wear online or in a store, it's going to be pretty hard to avoid markup mania. Of course, you can always go sample-sale shopping or buy a nontraditional dress — but bridal still costs a pretty penny. Thanks a lot, wedding industrial complex. (Business Insider)